In recent times, numerous electronic technologies including audio signal processing, video signal processing and data processing have become more available to individual users. With more advanced electronic technologies available to users, new and different needs for entertainment and business applications have arisen.
Two areas in which needs for improved entertainment and business applications exist are in generating multimedia presentations and telecommunications. Multimedia refers to the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image and moving pictures into a single, computer-controlled, multimedia product. It includes the combination of computers, video disk or compact disk players, video monitors, optical scanners, audio cards, music synthesizers, etc., all linked together by powerful developmental software. Telecommunications, on the other hand, includes applications for communicating by electronic transmission signals from devices such as telephones, radio, and television. A number of factors, however, have precluded the ability of system designers to develop systems which can fully utilize and integrate multimedia and telecommunications applications in a single workstation. These factors include public acceptance, excessive costs, system complexity, and incompatibilities among the various electronic technologies.
One particular area in which significant improvements are being made is in television technology. Today, for the above states reasons, there is no system that takes full advantage of the television signal display and manipulation capabilities that may be possible by combining a multimedia applications with telecommunications applications. If a television could be combined with a computer, then a user could realize significant increases in receiving and recording television information, as well as making the computer a much more valuable tool for the storage and display of information.
One video workstation described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,562 to Murakami et al. (hereinafter "Murakami") shows the use of a control system that collects multiple asynchronous video, audio, graphic and data signals and retransmits the signals. While the data transmission system of Murakami discloses a system for transmitting various types of audio and video data, it fails to integrate telecommunications and multimedia abilities in a single workstation easily accessible to a user. Moreover, the Murakami invention does not approach the benefits available to the user in having a standardized personal computer platform combined with a high quality television circuit.
Thus, there is a need for a system that effectively combines a high quality television circuit with a personal computer.
There is a need for a system that combines within a single chassis a television circuit with a personal computer for a variety of multimedia applications.
There is a need for a system that permits computer manipulation of television signals to perform operations heretofore only possible with more expensive and complex systems.
Moreover, there is a need for a system that provides to the user an environment of full multimedia and telecommunications capabilities, especially including the ability to receive, store, and communicate video information.